Shaamaan

I've had the laps replaced and it's all good now. I did NOT expect old lamps to cause such... specific noises. Oh well, lesson learned.

Not... really. More like a rodent that got into the speaker and was trying to get out? It's very intermittent and... just a little bit scary. ...no, I do NOT have a rat problem, and yes, I checked. ;) EDIT: The thumping, at least when turning on, appears to... come and go? I just came from work and, after reading your post, figured I'd try to record the strange noise with my phone. To my surprise, the amp didn't make any noises when switching on from standby. There were still very minor occasional scratches / artefacts however, albeit I was unable to catch them. At this point I'm starting to think I might be haunted! O_o EDIT 2: OK, so right now it seems that just after turning the amp on, everything is fine (I could swear I tested it in the morning before going to work and it was bad straight after starting it tho). However, if I play for a bit, it's as if some kind of charge was building up in the amp, causing the "thump" and weird noises, even with no input. If I turn it off and shortly after turn it on again, the issues persist. This effectively means I can't play for more than 10-15 minutes before the noisy artefacts become very distracting. :( EDIT 3: I've recorded (alas, with my phone) two very different cases of the noise produced by the amp. Do note that in both cases the audio is recorded by keeping the phone close to the amp - these aren't VERY loud, but quite notable when playing in a quiet room. The first file (Noise 1) was recorded after turning the amp on after it had a little bit of a rest. There's some "popcorn" sounds, but also some other weirdness. The second file (Noise 2) was recorded after the amp was used a bit. During both recordings the POD was turned off, so there should be no input coming into the DT. Noise 2.mp3 Noise 1.mp3

That's... actually a good question. I bought the DT used, so I don't really know (if memory serves the information from the seller was that these are stock tubes). As a "basement" player, I use the DT sparingly (compared to stage / pro musicians anyway) so I was under the impression the tubes should be good for a long while. As such I haven't touched them at all. The only thing I ever did was fastening a few, somewhat loose, screws which caused a notable buzz - but this was after I bought the unit. Do you think it's the tubes? EDIT: One more thing to note: I just turned on the DT, waited for it to warm up, then turned on the speaker - all of this WITHOUT turning on the POD, so there was no input. Not only did I get the scary "thump", but there was also notable "noise" from the speaker, like uneven scratching sounds...? Just putting this info out there, in case it helps identify the problem or confirm any existing suspicions...

Quite recently my DT25 has been acting weird. First, it started with an unusually loud "thump" when turning the speaker on from standby (after the DT warms up a bit of course in standby). Then I've noticed sounds that shouldn't be there when strumming chords on a clean setting (single strings sound OK). And I've noticed that switching between pentode and triode modes also causes an unusually loud "thump". Finally, a worrisome "thump" is also heard if I disable the AMP on my POD500. In general, I've come to somewhat fear these thumps, as it seems to me something isn't working (or isn't operated) as it should. I cherish my DT and would prefer it to keep rocking on. Any idea what it could be and what should I do to alleviate the problem? EDIT: I've realized I've never updated the firmware on the DT25. While the problem above doesn't seem like a firmware issue, I'm also kind of wondering if I can even DO a firmware update with "Dream Rig"...?

OK, I'm a complete idiot. <_< Apparently when transporting the guitar the volume knob on my guitar must have gotten turned to 0 (or something very close). When powering the POD up, it sets the Variax volume based on the preset. When pressing the knob (engaging the Variax models) the "soft" settings get overwritten, and the actual knob positions are read, making everything muted. Since the way I have things set up I pretty much never play around with the volume knob, it never crossed my mind that this could be the problem. Do I feel silly now... -_- <does some running head first into a wall> EDIT: At least in my panic mode, I managed to update the Variax firmware to the latest. :P

OK, here's something that just started to happen out of the blue for no apparent reason. When I turn on the processing effects on my Variax, the whole setup (Dream Rig) goes mute. It doesn't matter if I turn them off again, there's no sound. It'll remain like so until the POD off and back on. It doesn't matter if I turn the effects using the guitar knob or the POD settings. In both cases the system goes mute. What could possibly be the issue? I don't even know if this is a problem with the guitar or the POD.

OK, I figured it out. It's the L6 Link setting that was mis-configured. Apparently it has a number of options - Amp A/B/A+B and L/R/L+R. I had it set to Amp A. I'm still a bit unsure why would anyone need this setting (I guess it's needed when multiple DT amps are used?) but switching to L+R solves my issues.

Hello, bedroom guitarist here. I thought I understood the HD500, at least back when I didn't have a DT25 for it. It, then, made some sense to use two amps in parallel, and stuff placed after the amp would still "work", i.e. I could hear the effects placed after the amps and the mixer. But since I got the DT25 connected I've noticed the effects after the amp... stopped working? Is that possible? Basically it seems everything before the amp is actually added and played, while everything after... isn't. Perhaps if I had recorded stuff on my PC via the USB I would get that other stuff as well, but I'm not sure at the moment. Could someone explain the basics on how the DSP works in a HD500+DT25 combo situation, please?

What?! :o Seriously? :angry: I heard about the SPDIF issue, but didn't know it affects L6 link as well... <checks with normal outputs once more> Well, this is... REALLY weird. I just double checked - I KNEW I tested the regular 1/4'' outputs before, and still had no sound. But since I don't USE the 1/4'' outputs (on account of having a L6 link) I didn't really look further into the issue. Now that you mentioned it I connected the POD just via the 1/4'' outputs, and still couldn't get any output (even when playing the guitar). But after fiddling with the 1/4'' OUT switch on the POD it started working. Really, really weird, that one. :wacko: There's no way I'll be getting a Helix just for THAT. :rolleyes: Finally - thanks for the answer. It helped immensely. :) Cheers!

I've finally found some time to do some home recording. Or, at least, attempt to do some home recording. :/ I've got the basic Dream Rig - an HD500 hooked up via L6 link with a DT25 (also a JTV 89, but for this particular question it probably doesn't matter). I can get ASIO input into a recording application just fine. No issues there. However, I'm having a lot of problems playing the recording back - there's no sound! The DT is on, the POD is powered up, the visual indicators are nicely moving up and down... yet there's no sound coming from the DT. I've even went so far as to try and connect my regular speakers to the regular R/L outputs of the POD - still nothing. Attached is the config page for Reaper (inputs / outputs) as well as the ASIO config page for the POD. Since Reaper's config page is opened there's no ASIO client shown in the ASIO configuration - that gets resolved once I close the preferences window. Any idea what's wrong? Or am I understanding things wrong with regards to ASIO and that's not how playback works? :/

My first recording... didn't record. I honestly don't know why, at this point. But I think I see what's going on and why I was confused. When Reaper's config page is opened it actually stops listening to ASIO. So when going to the L6 ASIO setup page from Reaper's config - that's why it says there's no connected client. Reaper's still listening on regular Windows channels, however, so that's why I could see the dB monitors "work" only when I've set the default recording device in Windows Sound. I'll work on the settings some more. On a side note - any general tips for best quality? Sample rate, Buffer size / depth? EDIT for bonus question: Also, is there a difference in quality between using ASIO and that Line6 "Digital Audio Interface" available for non-ASIO applications? Perhaps I'm over-thinking this whole ASIO thing...

I've decided to try some home recording with my HD500 and found it a bit confusing - and as such, I'm wondering if I'm actually doing it right. First things first - I'm using Windows 7, and the POD is connected via the USB cable to my PC with the latest drivers installed. Once the POD is powered on, a new playback and recording device appears in the Windows Sound configuration window. Here's the part that baffles me. If I go to my recording application and select the ASIO and POD500 as the input... then NOTHING will be recorded UNTIL I select the POD HD500 recording device as the default recording device in Windows Sound configuration. This... doesn't make a lot of sense. I'd expect the Windows Sound configuration to be the settings for, well, Windows sounds and how the OS records and plays back audio. I'd expect a recording application to "use" what the settings for that application imply - in this case, the POD. I'm using Cockos Reaper, BTW, if that makes any difference. Can anyone explain what's going on? PS. When accessing the L6 ASIO config, a field called "ASIO client" says "none"... I'm guessing this is wrong, when Reaper is active and SHOULD, in theory at least, be listening to the POD...

Hey, thanks for the confirmation! I was worried it might be something with my unit.

Thanks for the response. I can't say I LIKE the response - I was hoping there's a trick to it. ;) But still... good to know. Cheers!

I'll preface this thread by saying that I'm not entirely sure if this is the right place to post this kind of question. In fact, I'm not entirely sure if the L6 forums are a good place for this question at all. I do know I have a "basic" Dream Rig. But I'm a newbie, and I could really use some help with this. If this is the wrong place to ask, then say so, and I'll shut up... I'm trying to replicate a specific sound for fun and, well, I don't have the faintest idea of how to start the process. Don't get me wrong, I know how the PODs patches work, I just never really tried to replicate a specific tone myself - I either experimented with the POD until I found a patch that I just liked or I found nice patches on-line. In this particular case I'm trying to recreate the sounds of Little Vs Pacific Rim theme. I'm a bit at a loss of where to even start. Should I start with a "clean" sounding pre-amp model and add effects to that to get that nice overdrive effect, or is it better to start off with pre-amps which already contain a lot of dirt in them? (About the only thing I know for sure is that Little Vs using a 7-string guitar, so I need to change the tuning on my Variax to a baritone tuning.) Or is it just pure luck and one has to go through a LOT of settings till the right tone pops up? How DO people go about recreating specific tones on their Dream Rigs?

I'm a bit confused. If only path A is used, then what's going on with the second amp in the chain? On a side note - I'm having a strange issue with the POD HD500 software. I'm trying to create 4 patches for a specific song, and I'm using the (seemingly) useful feature of Ctrl+dragging a patch to copy it over to another slot. So I copy over a patch, make a small adjustment, and save it using the "send selected" button... As long as I select the patch via the HD500 software, it's exactly as I specified it - knob settings and all. But then I try to leave my PC and actually play the darn thing and switch between patches using the footswitches, and I find that the copied patch has all the knob positions wrong - completely missing the intended end result. I found I need to select the patch using the HD500 software and ADDITIONALLY I need to save it using the PODs physical save button. Is this a known bug, or am I doing something wrong? It seems as if the "send selected" button doesn't do what I think it does... or it doesn't do whatever it should do correctly...

Thanks for the answers Gear Head. I guess I'll keep it simple for the time being and stick with a single amp in my chain, until I get a better grasp of things. Cheers! Regarding 1) I know that if I use the Amp A / Amp B (or either of them separately) Audio setting then the PODs looper will only work if it's the first element of the chain. This makes me think that one needs a more elaborate hardware setup to make use of that specific option.

I have a few newbie questions myself, as I'm a bit confused by the initial settings. 1) If I only have one DT25 amp and the HD500, is there a point in using the Amp A / Amp B settings for Audio in the L6 Link? This setting seems to turn the amp in the signal chain as the "end", and that's that... 2) I cannot for the love of me grasp what's going on with the signal if I create a dual amp preset (assuming the L6 Link audio setting is set to Left / Right). Could someone elaborate? What's most confusing is that if I create a dual-amp preset but disable the first amp, then it seems the DT25 is switching to the B channel and uses only the knobs on the DT? 3) Can I control both DT25 channels at once from the HD500?

As a newbie guitarist, I'd like a metronome in my POD... But than again, I can use so many other things to replace it with. But THAN AGAIN, if it's easy, shouldn't it be there already? OK, I'll shut up now. :P

I initially connected just the FX return, exactly like you said. :) But I figured I might use the full 4CM to get a cheap (DSP resource wise) dual-amp effect. Thanks! :)

Sadly, it's no tube amplifier. I wish I could get one as cheaply as I got this one tho. :P It's the first one. I think. Albeit the amps power amp seems to be "fixed" in settings. Is that possible? If I connect the PODs output to the FX return on the amp (and leave ONLY this cable in whilst disconnecting all other cables) then there's no change to the sound no matter how much I twist the dials on the amp. Connecting the other two cables will get the pre-amp effects into the loop, this much I'm certain of, and there you are definitely right.

I've recently purchased a small combo amp with an FX loop. The FX loop was a specific requirement to make the most out of the POD. Before, when I had the POD connected to my PC (not just using USB) I used the Studio/Direct setting on the POD, as that seemed to give the most clarity. But I'm not so sure now. I AM connecting the POD to a combo amp, so the setting with this name seems to suggest it's the preferred way. BUT, if I don't include the FX loop in the DSP, then the combo amp works only as a speaker (the knobs on the amp don't affect the signal, not even volume)... this makes me think that Studio/Direct once more might be preferred. What's the right way to go about this?

It doesn't have to be loud. Like I wrote - it's a temporary solution. Given the replies, I'm thinking headphones might have to be enough (of course finding a decent pair is also a feat ;P). Finding an amp with an FX loop for the price of a small Spider also seems like an accomplishment... ;-) BTW... Just curious now, but the Spider has an Aux input... Wouldn't that work to bypass the amps processing?

I live under the roof, and right now, during the summer heat waves, it's becoming a bit unbearable. (Forget about playing the guitar, just BEING here is unbearable!) I was thinking about taking my setup someplace cooler, like the basement. The trouble is there's little space in there and so I cannot take my entire setup. I was wondering what I could do on a budget (given that this is mostly a temporary solution for the summer). I read some good reviews about the little Spider (the little one's price is also pretty neat), and I was wondering if it'd work well with my POD. What do you think? If not the Spider, then what else should I look for?

Off topic: thanks! :D On topic: One more thing... I've connected headphones to the headphone output and, as stated, the 1/4" output to my NAD amplifier. Note, that my PC is also connected to that amplifier. There's something weird with the volume. On the headphones, everything is nice, crisp and relatively loud when using medium gains and output settings. However, with the same settings, the sound coming from the amp is barely audible - and this is already with the little 1/4" switch set to "LINE"... when it was set to "AMP" it was even worse. For comparison - if I plug the headphones into the PC output normally used by the amp then I get a similar volume level as when the amplifier is connected. To summarize - the 1/4" output seems strangely quiet, especially when compared to the headphone output. Is there anything I can do about it? EDIT: The above turned out to be a faulty cable. >_< Also, bonus question: why is the PODs own expression pedal marked as EXP 2, when the I/O panel says "Pedal 2" for connecting a secondary pedal? Are the numbers deliberately swapped or is there a setting I'm missing?